We are delighted to announce that Grooveyard took home three awards including the top gong for Best Event at the prestigious Event Industry Awards- www.eia.ie – on Friday night, staving off strong competition from our industry peers, and some of the largest, big budget events for the 2016 centenary celebrations. An independent and distinguished panel of recognised expert judges from the event sector in Ireland, and further afield, determined this years’ winners.

Grooveyard were recognised for their contribution to the launch of the new Sony Xperia phone, which included a two-tiered experiential strategy to drive sales of Sony’s newest handset. The campaign incorporated a high impact activation space at the popular Taste of Dublin festival. We were particularly thrilled for the City of Limerick, as Riverfest – a five day family festival which is run over the May Bank holiday weekend, picked up two awards; the first for Best Live Event, and the second, an overall award for Best Event chosen by the judges as the standout event from all the winners, across all of the event categories.

Best Live Event & Best Event – Riverfest 2016

Best Launch Event – Sony@Taste

On receiving the awards, James Gavin, CEO Grooveyard said: “We are genuinely delighted. Each EIA we win means so much to us because they are so sought after, well recognised and highly respected.”

“We are happy to share this award with our clients Sony and Limerick City County Council, and many followers and partners too, who have been so engaged and collaborative with us in doing things differently, it really is a team effort.”

]]>If you are looking for some experiential marketing inspiration take a look at these:

Casper Nap Tour experiential marketing

Spanning 15 US cities and notching up over 10,000 naps, Caspers Nap tour has been a snoring success (sorry)!

US based mattress makers took two ‘Nap mobiles’ on a nationwide tour of the states. Each housed four luxury sleeping pods. Snoozers could register online for a sleeping slot and sleep for as long as they liked.

Participants bunked down in the pods to experience Caspers mattress, sheets and pillows first-hand. To help them drift off for a few Z’s the occupants could also roll down the privacy blind, adjust the heat and listen to some soothing bedtime stories.

Nivea Second skin project

It’s hard to be separated from family and loved ones for birthdays and special occasions. The guys at Nivea Second Skin project decided to spread the love by uniting friends and relatives across the miles with a virtual hug.

Using specially designed suits that emulated touch and movement via electrical impulses, this activation made it possible for a mother and son to embrace across the continents.

Make sure you watch this one until the end and be sure to have your tissues at the ready.

WestJet prize wheel

The ambition and scale of this truly audacious marketing stunt for WestJet is genuinely breathtaking.

To celebrate WestJet’s 21st birthday they created the world’s biggest prize wheel in the Mojave desert. Unsuspecting passengers were treated to a spectacular desert light show as they made their descent into Vegas The mammoth prize wheel, which spanned a full kilometre, lighting up the ground below selected two lucky passengers at random to giveaway a five star VIP Vegas upgrade.

Nescafé Hello bench – #ItAllStartsWithANescafé

Casting aside today’s marketeers heavy reliance on social media, Nescafé wanted to get consumers to ‘like’ their brand and ‘share’ a cup of coffee in person with this clever ‘real-life’ activation.

Passers-by sat down on a rather normal looking bench. Once two people were seated, motion sensors triggered, the bench got shorter and the people brought closer together. Hilarity and confusion ensued. The perfect conversation starter for the perfect cup of coffee.

]]>This country is jammed with tourists, and according to Tourism Ireland, the first ten months of 2016 saw 8.3 million arrivals onto our rainy shores. That’s a huge increase of 12% from 2015, and such a surge in tourism has a huge impact on all areas of business. But why has this happened? What entices all these people and businesses to choose to travel to our little island?

Let’s consider film. In 2015, millions worldwide guzzled popcorn as they watched the dramatic sweeping final scenes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The scene was filmed just off the rugged coastal shores of Kerry, on Skellig Michael, and was a roaring success, grossing 1 billion dollars in its first twelve days. Now, I wouldn’t by any means call myself a Star Wars buff (or even fan), and admittedly I can’t really remember what the scene was about, but it really doesn’t matter. All I know is that the images of the rugged island on the big screen made my little Irish heart burst with pride.

Obviously it’s not only Star Wars that featured our lush landscape and jagged coastline all over the international silver screen. For such a rainy little island, Ireland has inspired directors from some seriously big films to come and film here. Vintage classics the likes of The Quiet Man and Ryan’s Daughter, epic battle scenes in Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan, magical epics the likes of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and the insanely popular series Game of Thrones are just few of a long, long list. These films and series put Ireland on the worldwide stage and got international tongues wagging about our little green isle.

Can destination image really have such a big effect on destination choice?

But what does this mean for Irish business, and for destination management in Ireland?? Well, first let’s be clear and get to grips with what destination management actually is. DM is where an overseas business or corporate group sources and relies on an expert event management team (such as ourselves!) to be their local on-the-ground knowledge. They trust us to organize unique and creative corporate events, incentive trips, and leisure activities that’ll showcase our country’s finer sides – and we love doing it.

But what does it mean for us? (Hint: a lot)

Business tourism in Ireland is booming, and the sector here is worth €579 million a year. It’s one of the highest yield sectors in tourism, and we here at Grooveyard are busy planning destination events and trips for clients from almost every continent. They want to see what they have seen on screen, and experience the country that has a relaxed international reputation and is known to be the ideal place to mix business and pleasure.

]]>http://grooveyard.ie/destination-management-companies-ireland/feed/0The future of events – Multi-sensory eventshttp://grooveyard.ie/multi-sensory-events/
http://grooveyard.ie/multi-sensory-events/#respondFri, 26 Aug 2016 13:57:33 +0000http://grooveyard.ie/?p=2945It is often thought that when we visually observe something at events, we are able to create lasting memories; if.

]]>It is often thought that when we visually observe something at events, we are able to create lasting memories; if this were true then we probably wouldn’t take as many photographs as we do. In fact, studies show that one of the most powerful senses is our sense of smell. Our bodies contain several hundreds of receptors for smell which is far greater in comparison to the number of receptors for senses such as sight and touch. The power of scent is truly remarkable and even more so when you look at the statistics. A person can normally only recall 50% of what they visually take in after a period of three months while we can actually remember around 65% of what we smell even after the passing of an entire year.

Question: How is this relevant to today’s event planner? Answer: Engaging the senses at events is everything! As Event Professionals if we tap into the science of senses, we can increase engagement and create lasting impressions on our attendees. Let’s face it, everyone wants to walk away from an event feeling as if they have had a positive return on investment, whether it be knowledge gained, relationships built, or an unforgettable experience.

In order to delve deeper, we have been looking into the existence of a science behind the senses in order to see if that ‘science’ can be applied to the science behind events. Clued in event managers can tap into this science to create a high impact, multi-sensory event that is sure to engage attendees on all levels. Triggering the senses stimulates a new way of thinking, feeling and behaving. Thinking about the senses helps us to think about the attendee experience and how a multisensory approach to planning can amplify the impact we can create.

Here’s our short list of multi-sensory events from around the globe that definitely got us imagining bigger and better things…

1. Play – Visual Soundscape for Sonos Sound System

Bringing to life the tag line of Sonos’, Fill Your Home with Music, the US based company, http://fakelove.tv/, created an experiential installation by constructing custom algorithms which transcribed audios into visuals. As users walked around the event space, they engaged with the Sonos system through wireless control. They could choose from different music tracks which were displayed in colour washes and animations around the room through the use of projection mapping. Multiple senses were engaged in this activation such as that of sight, sound, and touch.

2. LinkedIn’s Talent Connect – London Experience: The Power of Immersion

The aim of LinkedIn’s Flagship event in Europe, Talent Connect – London Experience, was to offer a multisensory experience to 1,500 of their key clients, bringing together talent acquisition and HR leaders from all over the world. Their objective was to have attendees walk away with a better sense of connection and an eagerness to transform the industry.

The event was held in the ExCeL London. The event space was transformed into a model street in the middle of the city, complete with to-scale buildings of pubs, shops, with a park, an open-top double-decker bus, and London taxi cabs. Mock homes which served as meeting rooms on the inside. All of the event halls were fashioned to fit the London Experience theme. Throughout the day, training sessions were held in the event halls while by night, a party atmosphere was created mimicking a night out in London. The event managed to engage all of the senses by incorporating the sounds, smells, sights of the streets of London.

Microsoft’s Launch of Microsoft 8 – Making Metaphors for Speed

For this activation, Microsoft decided to turn the metaphor of the fast speed of the ‘OS’ Microsoft 8 system into a physical movement. Microsoft created a giant slide inside the Bluewater shopping centre so customers could take an exhilarating ride down between floors providing a fun alternative to the stairs. As shoppers glided down the slide they had their photo taken which was then displayed over LED screens around the mall and printed as a take home as a souvenir. This launch in particular engaged with the sense of touch and sight, as well as offered a surprise element as customers approached the escalators.

4. Multi-sensory Dining Experiences

Sensation – A Multi-sensory Dining Experience

Chef Alex Davies, sounds artist and wine writer Jo Burzynska and visual artist, Toshi Endo joined together in Christchurch, NZ at The Auricle Sonic Arts Gallery where they combined food, sound and art to offer a multi-sensory dining experience. The seven-course meal, fixed to a different mood and theme per course, was designed to stimulate all the senses. The aim of the project was to show that when multiple senses are engaged, the guest’s enjoyment of the meal is heightened. Each guest was engaged through a combination of aroma, flavors, colors, textures, and the sounds of specifically composed music and live visuals.

The Auricle Sonic Arts Gallery, pictured below, was the first venue in the world to open up a wine and sound bar.

Stella Artois activated inside a visually spectacular dome in Toronto. Inside the dome, guests were treated to a 5 course meal, each accompanied by a chalice of Stella Artois beer. The traditional dining experience was flipped in a way that aimed to stimulate the senses and challenge attendees’ sense of taste, sight, smell, sound and touch. Image projections appeared inside the dome, music was synced to rigged tables, the soup danced in time with a drum solo. Aromas were infused into the dome to act as triggers for memory and emotion amongst the guests. Sensory experts were brought in to host the night, each one taking control of a course and providing guests with various layers of engagement. Among the sensory experts were, Richie Farina, a well known Chef who is known for his flair and focus on locally sourced ingredients; as well as Nyles Miszczyk, a Musician and Record Producer who added original compositions covering multiple genres to be enjoyed throughout the night.

Stella Artois managed to engage all five senses through careful balance and provided a memorable experience for their guests. Over the running of the Sensorium, there were 2,300 people who had participated however it was the world of mouth and social amplification spread from the guests’ experience which gave the activation traction.

]]>http://grooveyard.ie/multi-sensory-events/feed/0The Best Event Management Company 2016http://grooveyard.ie/best-event-management-company/
http://grooveyard.ie/best-event-management-company/#respondMon, 25 Jul 2016 13:04:59 +0000http://grooveyard.ie/?p=2930Grooveyard are over the moon to have won The Best Event Management Company at this year’s Event Industry Awards, securing.

]]>Grooveyard are over the moon to have won The Best Event Management Company at this year’s Event Industry Awards, securing the hat-trick for a third consecutive year at the top.

In front of a packed room of 500 industry professionals at the Award Ceremony in the Doubletree By Hilton, on Friday evening last, Grooveyard staved off stiff competition from the other 8 finalists from among Ireland’s best event management companies to collect the prize of Best Event Management Company for a third year running.

EIA awards winners best event management company

This is something which has never been done before and we are very proud to have been selected by a panel of industry experts from all over Europe.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to our clients for their ongoing support and to our amazing team for all of their hard work.

]]>When it comes to selecting an event venue, we at Grooveyard are always asked to suggest ‘different’ venues, ‘unique’ venues. Increasingly event planners and marketing managers are moving away from the more traditional spaces. This is hardly surprising when you consider that the right venue helps to inject personality and style to an event from the get-go.

We have taken a look at some of the most surprising event spaces in some of Europe’s major cities. We were spoilt for choice. Here are our top six.

Dublin: Haughton House Dublin Zoo

Not your usual choice of venue, Dublin Zoo is home to the recently restored historic Haughton House.

Originally built in 1898, Haughton House is a charming building with magnificent views. When first built, it contained 10 wild animal ‘dens’, tearooms and a lecture room. The restoration brings an exciting new Learning and Discovery Centre, lecture facilities, a veranda and a balcony with views over the Kaziranga Forest Trail.

It provides a unique setting for weddings, parties, conferences, charity functions and all types of fun days including Family Barbeques. Located at the heart of Dublin Zoo, it’s surrounded by lawns, trees and of course exotic wildlife. The house’s flexible design allows it to accommodate various different layouts including theatre, board room and classroom styles for up to 70 people.

London: Tower Bridge

The iconic Tower Bridge has to be one of the most awe inspiring and surprising venues in London for private functions, corporate events and weddings.

It houses three event venue areas, 42 metres above the River Thames, each one a unique and memorable setting for celebrations of every kind. The panoramic high-level Walkways and the majestic Victorian Engine Rooms are available for private evening hire, while the North Tower Lounge is also available for smaller daytime functions.

Guests are treated to the spectacular views of the city, whilst the venue’s newest “wow” feature: the glass floor also enables guests to enjoy London life beneath their feet from a truly spectacular vantage point.

Paris: Salle Gustave Eiffel

On the subject of iconic landmarks, the Salle Gustave Eiffel located within the Eiffel Tower is another unexpected event venue. It offers unrivalled views of Paris, occupying a privileged position on the second floor of the national monument. At 57 meters above sea level, it is renowned for its panoramic airy ambience and distinguished elegance. It is available for hire for all kinds of professional events, including conferences, seminars, cocktail parties, fashion shows, and press junkets.

Magnified in size and grandeur by the transparency of its façades, its ultra-modern facilities are juxtaposed by its location within the historic tower, making Salle Gustave Eiffel one of the most sought after event spaces in Paris.

Rome: Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis is located within the Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome, Italy is undoubtedly an extraordinary event space, in terms of its and historic-artistic importance and consequence. The museum itself, opened in 2006 was designed by the international architect Richard Meierand, and boasts 4 separate event venues.

The Ara Pacis, a more than 2,000 year old “Altar of Peace” that was used, paradoxically, for sacrifices, is a commanding work of Roman art and architecture that had been lost to civilization for centuries.The altar sits resplendent as the centrepiece of this contemporary space, which is surrounded by glass and flooded with natural daylight. The space is open for fashion shows, photoshoots, receptions and gala corporate evenings.

Berlin: Clӓrchens Ballhaus/Spiegelsaal

Located amid the sleek new cafes, offbeat shops and modern art galleries of the busy Mitte district, this cultural icon looks much the way it did a century ago. Founded in 1913 and affectionately known as Clӓrchen, this two-storey ballroom has an air of gracefully faded grandeur. Saved from dereliction a decade ago, this peculiar urban time warp defies belief.

Downstairs the cheesy dance hall retains its charm, but it is the chandeliered Spiegelsaal (mirror hall) upstairs, with towering ceiling, baroque detailing and huge mirrors, that interests the author. One of only three of the imperial-era ballrooms surviving in the city centre, the Spiegelsaal has survived two world wars, communist spies and a Quentin Tarantino movie production. Chipped paint and cracked mirrors have been deliberately preserved. Dark wood panelling covers walls flanked by candlelit tables and antique bars.

In recent years, it served as a film set for Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds with Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. The Spiegelsaal is available for private functions, gala dinners, film shoots, and corporate events.

Madrid: Galeria de Cristal, Palacio de Cibeles

This remarkable event space is home to the Madrid City Council. The large vaulted courtyard of the Crystal Gallery is located inside the Palacio de Cibeles ”“ (Town Hall) in Madrid and hosts many different events both public and private. Crystal Gallery boasts over 2,400 square meters of event space covered by the magnificent glass dome, formed by more than 2,000 triangular crystals together in a mesh. The dome rises to 30 meters its transparent lightness (500 tons). The space has underfloor heating and air conditioning and is a quirky place to hold a corporate event.

Looking at the pictures, it’s not hard to see why it is one of the most impressive venues in Madrid.

Lowdown: A chilled-out, sun-drenched festival held over 4 days every August. 30,000 people camp out on a spectacular cliff-top overlooking Watergate Bay. You can chill out by the beach whilst taking in the surf competitions, then choose from 9 different stages.

Boardmasters 2016’s line-up includes Faithless, Rudimental and Bastille. Did we mention it’s in Cornwall? It is. So now you have a great excuse to head down to sunny Cornwall.

Wilderness

Lowdown: Located in the idyllic Oxfordshire countryside, this three day festival is for food and music lovers. The music is as tasty as the Michelin-starred food on offer. Last year at Wilderness, Bjork headlined whilst George Clinton, Roisin Murphy and Benjamin Clementine sent the Wilderness crowd wild.

When the sun sets the hedonists head for the Hidden Valley in the woods for some amazing DJ’s sets. Recover the next day with paddle board yoga, which is a thing, apparently?

Body & Soul

Lowdown: Shiny happy people listening to bands. Body & Soul is set in the middle of the woods and the walled gardens of Ballinlough Castle. You never know what you might find around the next corner, DJ’s, poets, secret stages and sculpture. Though you won’t find many big headliners, there’s something for every musical taste here.

As far as festivals go it’s pretty family friendly too, with a special ‘Soul Kids’ section for the little festival goers. It has to be one of the most chilled-out festivals going.

Electric Picnic Music and Arts festival

Lowdown:Electric Picnic was born in a field in 2004, this formally boutique festival just gets bigger and better with age. Up to 50,000 souls headed to the Stradbally sun last year to see the likes of Blur, Florence & The Machine and Grace Jones. You’ll find the line-ups are a mix of mainstream and eclectic acts, so there is something for everyone, including your hipster mates.

We’ve heard it described as the ‘Irish Glastonbury’, a ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus’ or ‘Burning man with rain’ (the weather was lovely last year). Whatever you call it, it’s a happy collision of art, music, comedy and food you’d be mad to miss.

Festival Number 6

Portmeirion, Wales 1th-4th September 2016If you like: Intimate Performances, Poetry and the Prisoner

Lowdown:Festival No.6 describes itself as ‘a bespoke banquet of music, arts and culture’ and that it certainly is.

This small and perfectly formed festival gets its name from the cult 60’s TV show The Prisoner. Yes, that is the weird one with the balls. It was filmed in the fantasy, Mediterranean style village Portmeirion, which is an idyllic, surreal and totally unforgettable location for a festival. Go there if you like the sound amazing art installations, big headliners, intimate performances, punk poetry and being chased by big white balls.

]]>http://grooveyard.ie/uk-irelands-best-festivals/feed/0Life in the event world – the true storyhttp://grooveyard.ie/life-in-the-event-world-the-true-story/
http://grooveyard.ie/life-in-the-event-world-the-true-story/#respondWed, 28 Oct 2015 17:27:49 +0000http://grooveyard.ie/?p=2025“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain” The.

]]>“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain”

The hustle and bustle in the lead up to any event is as exciting as it is challenging and the team at Grooveyard are like a gaggle of preverbal swans, majestically gliding along. However, beneath the surface they are paddling like mad but with each movement growing ever closer to a great success and feeling of accomplishment. An unmeasurable level of passion is required in your approach and dedicated with your application.

The working environment within the team is a steady flow of creative energy and a relentless drive to top previous concepts and events. For me, being able to contribute to such a team is the reason I smile walking to the office every morning. We have to consistently think outside of the box and strive to create new concepts for brand activations and events that are both engaging and memorable. (This is why Grooveyard are best in the business!)

The beauty of the events industry is the vast and varied challenges you come up against on a daily basis and the rewarding feeling once these challenges are overcome. The ability to multi-task is the key to any event, whether it’s the planning, production or execution stage, the skills of a professional juggler with a background in fire prevention are required. Thinking ahead and having your finger in a lot of different pies all at once and sometimes even your toes.

The key to success is to plan, plan and plan!

And after that plan some more, once you’ve done that create a plan against your first 3 plans.

The event industry is ever evolving and if the creative spark goes out you will fall behind. A diverse and dynamic team will allow your creativity to grow together, keeping colleagues up to date with current world event trends and always pushing and inspiring each other.

Having the ability to create, promote and deliver is the blueprint of what we do. The team ethos is so crucial to our success, having the right people in the right place doing the right things. It all sounds so simple and simplicity is genius.

Never underestimating the long hours and countless challenges to be met. For our team the goal is to explore and exhaust all avenues and exceed our client’s expectations. The wide ranging dynamics of the event business require an adaptable and resilient team that have skill sets to match. This industry is not for everyone but for those who choose this path they will reap the benefits and all the joys this industry has to offer in return.

So the storm of event management can be overwhelming. It can be intense. It can swallow you up whole but if you learn to dance in the rain, you’ll learn to embrace that feeling, overcome any challenge and love every second of your day, even if it’s raining.

]]>http://grooveyard.ie/life-in-the-event-world-the-true-story/feed/05 of the best experiential marketing campaignshttp://grooveyard.ie/5-of-the-best-experiential-marketing-campaigns/
http://grooveyard.ie/5-of-the-best-experiential-marketing-campaigns/#respondTue, 06 Oct 2015 13:52:50 +0000http://grooveyard.ie/?p=2006TNT: “Push to Add Drama” One of our all-time favourites. Let’s be honest, if you see a big red button.

One of our all-time favourites. Let’s be honest, if you see a big red button you just have to press it, right? Belgian agency Duval Guillaume enticed passersby to ‘push to add drama’. What happens next is a magic. Experiential marketing at it’s finest.

Carlsberg

Carlsberg and their thirst-quenching experiential campaign made some Londoners pretty happy.

They are know for great TV advertising revolving around the tagline “ Probably”. But how do you bring this to life in the streets of London? Fold7 and Mission Media delivered an outdoor poster with a twist.

So, what is the best poster in the world? Probably an interactive one that has people queuing down the street. Definitely one that lets you pour your own pint.

Pepsi Max

Pepsi Max created unbelievable experiences for commuters in London. Using augmented reality and a vivid imagination unsuspecting members of the public witnessed some unbelievable sights. Amazing experiential work by AMV BBDO, OMD & Talon.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic’s brand promise is ‘Flying in the face of ordinary’. Â So, Y&R New York and Virgin surprised some New Yorkers who sat on what appeared to be an ordinary park bench. It was anything but.

They were wined and dined in style but the real fun started when they use the ‘in-flight entertainment system.

British Airways

British Airways and OgilvyOne, set up a billboard in an iconic London location – Piccadilly Circus. It was a billboard with a difference.

Every time one of their planes flew above, it displayed the flight number and the plane’s origin. A little boy then runs and points as the plane comes in to land. Magic.

]]>http://grooveyard.ie/5-of-the-best-experiential-marketing-campaigns/feed/0Life as an events Intern: Getting your foot in the doorhttp://grooveyard.ie/life-as-an-events-intern/
Thu, 16 Jul 2015 09:39:37 +0000http://grooveyard.ie/?p=1921Today’s society sees a large percentage of the population running from A to B without a real sense of where.

]]>Today’s society sees a large percentage of the population running from A to B without a real sense of where they are going. People are chasing money and status rather than their passion, always wanting more and more but still feeling unaccomplished.

Allow me to give an example, a close friend of many years, we’ll call her “Lucy”. Lucy was an overachiever at school, constantly had her head in the books and always surpassed what was expected of her. Lucy managed to gain a fantastic memory test”¦ I mean “Leaving Cert””¦ and decided at the tender age of 17, accountancy was the career path for her.

Lucy slogged for seven years completing a masters in Financial Accountancy, working for a prestigious auditing company and gained her FE1’s. Lucy thought she had it made- she was offered a permanent position at the aforementioned prestigious auditing company, until three months into the job ”“ when sheÂ discovered that she detested the work she was doing as she found it mundane and tedious. On one particular night out, Lucy stated with a glum expression and a few Mojitos inside her “I’ve always wanted to work in the music industry”. Two years on, Lucy still continues to work at her prestigious job with a mid-range salary, alluring perks including an expense account and is 100% miserable.

Which begs me to pose the questions

Are we a nation of sell out’s?

Does money drive people to a state of depression and numbness?

Is anyone truly happy at what they do?

These questions will now allow me to explain a bit about my story and how I came to write this blog.

Much like “Lucy” at 17, although not half as studious, I felt an unjust amount of pressure on making sure I mapped out the rest of my life. Luckily for me I fell pregnant two months into my boring, run-of-the-mill Business Admin course, (you may think I’m using the term luckily in the wrong context but allow me to expand).

Once the initial shock of the teenage pregnancy had set in I found myself needing to alter everything around this little person who is now the major decision maker in our household. I felt a need to put my professional life on hold to primarily raise this child until she was of school age and then learn to juggle and juggling I am.

Events Intern

The four years out of education allowed me realise my passion, find myself and what career would work for me. I discovered Event Management and so it began, I eased myself back in by taking a FETAC level 5 course which offered a work experience module amongst others that prepare you for the working world. I was encouraged to complete a two week placement and I found Grooveyard. I gained first-hand experience on how a successful event management company operates, reiterating my need to fulfil my passion of becoming an Event Manager. On completion of the FETAC course I wasted no time in filling out that CAO application and taking that scary leap back into third level education.

Now, having completed two of three years studying Event Management with Public Relations at GMIT, I have progressed into a seven month Event Management internship and welcomed again by Grooveyard.

Of course there are trials and tribulations of being an Events intern, not inclusive of a single mother’s workload, such as fears of failure, on the job learning and financial strain but against all of these woes I find the job to be both equally challenging and rewarding.

I feel as though I am an important part of the team and this is completely recognised by the companies Managing Director. I am trusted with majorly important tasks on a daily basis and could not be happier.

Don’t get me wrong, there are days which are a struggle and it feels like things aren’t going to plan but when I hear my seven year old say “I’m going to work in Groove(y)yard when I’m older” I know I must be doing something right.

“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”

“ Luckily for me, I have found this to be true in both my professional and personal life.”